Albert James Smith

Sir Albert James Smith KCMG PC QC (March 12, 1822 – June 30, 1883) was a New Brunswick politician and opponent of Canadian confederation. Smith's grandfather was a United Empire Loyalist who left Massachusetts to settle in New Brunswick after the American Revolution.

Smith entered politics in 1852 entering the House of Assembly as an opponent of the Tory compact that ran the colony and became a leading reform and advocate of responsible government which was granted to the colony in 1854. Smith became a member of the reform government that took power that year and went on to become Attorney-General in 1861 under Premier Samuel Leonard Tilley. Smith split with Tilley over railway policy and Canadian confederation with Smith becoming leader of the Anti-Confederates winning the 1865 election but was forced from office the next year by the lieutenant-governor.

He was created a Queen's Counsel in 1862.

Smith reconciled with Confederation after it became a fact and became minister of fisheries in the Liberal government of Alexander Mackenzie in 1873. He died in 1883, and was interred in Dorchester Rural Cemetery.

By-election: on Mr. Smith being appointed Minister of Marine and Fisheries:

• J. E. Belliveau, 1976, The Splendid Life of Albert Smith and the Women he Left Behind, Windsor, NS: Lancelot Press

• "Albert James Smith". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
• Albert James Smith – Parliament of Canada biography

• 1822 births
• 1883 deaths
• Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
• Lawyers in New Brunswick
• Canadian King's Counsel
• Liberal Party of Canada MPs
• Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick
• Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
• Premiers of New Brunswick
• Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
• People from Shediac
• Attorneys general of the Colony of New Brunswick
• Colony of New Brunswick people
• 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
• 19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use Canadian English from January 2023
• All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English